Where are the Democrats?

Last week, President Trump pulled one of his most reckless moves yet. By declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel and saying he will begin moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Trump threw a match at the tinderbox that is the Middle East. Jerusalem is a contested city. The international consensus is that the city’s final status should be determined through negotiations - not the unilateral actions of Donald Trump!

Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967. Ever since, it has been trying to fully annex the city. From the apartheid wall, to settlement building, to the revocation of residency permits, Palestinian Jerusalemites face a constant struggle to hold onto their homes and lands. Now, Trump has given the green light to Israel’s most fanatical extreme right.

Condemnation has poured in from leaders throughout the Arab world. European Union representative Federica Mogherini said Trump’s announcement has “the potential to send us backwards to even darker times than the ones we are already living in.” France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK all rejected the move. Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström said it is “obviously going to lead to massive effects and unease.”

Where are the voices of US officials? Only Senators Feinstein and Sanders and Representatives Pocan, Grijalva and Lee have spoken out against Trump’s actions. Rather than condemning it, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer took credit for the decision.This is unacceptable! Congress must join the international outcry by condemning Trump’s actions and telling him to halt plans to move the embassy.

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